EFB Chapter 61 Jung Cheol-min's interference
Chapter 61 Jung Cheol-min's interference
At nine o'clock the next morning, Su Yu appeared on time at the entrance of the Jiangnan District Real Estate Registration Office.
Park, the real estate agent, had already arrived, carrying a brown paper bag containing all the signing documents. He saw Su Yu's car stop and jogged over to greet him, but his expression seemed off.
"Representative Su, something has happened."
Su Yu closed the car door without saying a word.
"The landlord called me this morning and said he's going to raise the rent," Park, the real estate agent, wiped the sweat from his brow. "To 10 billion won."
Cai Xiubin had just gotten out of the passenger seat when he heard this and was stunned. "Didn't we agree on 7.8 billion yesterday? The deposit has already been paid."
"I know, I know," Park, the real estate agent, wrung his hands anxiously. "But last night someone approached the landlord, offering 10 billion won to buy this building. The landlord then backed out."
"Who?"
Park hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice: "It's that guy surnamed Zheng I told you about yesterday. Zheng Zhemin. When the landlord called me this morning, I heard someone talking next to me, it should be one of his people."
Su Yu's expression remained unchanged, but Cai Xiubin noticed that his grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.
"If we breach the contract, how will the deposit be compensated?" Su Yu asked.
"The landlord said he was willing to refund double the deposit," said the real estate agent, Park. "He said he knew he was in the wrong, but the other party's asking price was too high, and he really couldn't refuse."
A double refund means getting back the deposit and losing another portion. Su Yu paid a 200 million deposit yesterday, and now the landlord is willing to refund 400 million. The landlord doesn't lose money on this deal, but Su Yu doesn't lose either; he makes 200 million for free.
The problem isn't about money.
Su Yu took out his phone and scrolled to the text message from last night. "Congratulations on buying the property, Representative Su. Hope to have the opportunity to cooperate in the future. — Zheng Zhemin." At the time, it seemed like a polite greeting, but now it looked like a provocation.
He knew in advance that Su Yu wanted to buy this building, and had even been eyeing it before Su Yu even viewed the property. The text message he sent yesterday afternoon, four hours before Su Yu signed the contract, indicates that Zheng Zhemin knew what Su Yu was doing from the very beginning.
"Representative Su, what do you think..." Agent Park asked tentatively, "How about I help you find some other buildings? There are a few others for sale nearby, with similar sizes, and the prices are negotiable."
Su Yu didn't answer. He walked to a bench at the entrance of the registration office, sat down, and lit a cigarette.
Cai Xiubin followed and sat down next to him. "Do you know that Zheng Zhemin?"
"I don't know him."
"Then why is he targeting you?"
Su Yu took a drag of his cigarette. "I don't know."
But he was thinking. When the black line cracked and money was leaking out, he had seen some images, including one of a man in a suit, followed by bodyguards, making a phone call in a top-floor office of a building.
The image was blurry, but you could sense that the person's energy field was gray, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.
He didn't pay attention at the time, thinking it was just random images caused by the black lines. Now it seems that they were hints from the causal lines.
I have some dealings with Zheng Zhemin. And they're not good dealings.
"Let's go back first." Su Yu stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.
Park, the real estate agent, panicked. "Then this building..."
"No, I don't want it."
Park, the intermediary, opened his mouth, wanting to say something but then swallowed it back. He had been in this business for many years and had seen many wealthy people, but he had never seen anyone as calm as Su Yu, who had signed a contract only to have it snatched away.
"Then I'll keep an eye out for other buildings for you, and I'll let you know as soon as I find a suitable one."
Su Yu nodded and led Cai Xiubin into the car.
On the way back, Cai Xiubin kept looking at Su Yu. He drove as usual, one hand on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead, his expression unreadable. But she knew he wasn't indifferent.
After returning from viewing the property yesterday, he spent a long time researching renovation plans on his phone and discussed with her what each floor would be used for. He said he wanted to re-rent the two shops on the first floor, use the second floor as an office area, the third floor as a meeting room and rest area, keep the fourth floor for his own use, and the fifth floor as a recording studio or photography studio.
He thought it through very carefully, which shows that he really wanted to buy that building.
Now that someone has robbed him, he doesn't get angry or curse. He just says "I don't want it anymore" and drives away.
"Su Yu," Cai Xiubin called him softly.
"Um."
Are you angry?
Su Yu didn't speak. The car stopped at the traffic light, and he turned to look at Cai Xiubin, his lips twitching slightly, but it wasn't exactly a smile.
"Does getting angry help?"
"So what do you plan to do?"
The light turned green, and Su Yu stepped on the gas.
"First, find out who he is."
When Su Yu arrived at the company, Shirley was already waiting at the entrance. She was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, with her hair tied in a ponytail, looking like a college student fresh out of school. Seeing Su Yu's car stop, she quickly walked over and knocked on the window.
"I heard the building was robbed?"
Su Yu got out of the car and glanced at her. "You're quick to get the news."
"Mr. Park is a friend of my mom's friend," Shirley said. "He called my mom this morning and told her, and then my mom told me. What happened? Who stole it?"
"Zheng Zhemin".
Shirley paused, then her expression changed. "Jung Cheol-min? The one who does architecture?"
"Do you know him?"
Shirley bit her lip. "I don't know them personally, but I've heard of them. The Zheng family is very powerful in the Gangnam District. His father, Zheng Taicheng, started in real estate and amassed a lot of land in the 1990s. After Zheng Zhemin took over, the expansion went even further. They've bought a lot of buildings in recent years, and their methods aren't exactly clean."
"How exactly is it unclean?"
"I'm not entirely sure, I've only heard it from people in the industry. Once he sets his sights on something, no one else can take it. Whether it's land, a building development, or anything else, he uses all sorts of methods to drive away competitors. Raising the price is the least he can do; sometimes he'll send people to cause trouble at the other company, or poach their employees, and even..."
Shirley paused and glanced at Su Yu.
"Even what?"
"There are even rumors that he has ties to the underworld," Shirley said in a lower voice. "But there's no evidence. The police investigated, but nothing came of it in the end."
Cai Xiubin stood to the side listening, her face a little pale. Su Yu, on the other hand, remained calm, walked into the company, poured himself a glass of water, and sat down in the chair that was now surrounded by delivery packages.
Shirley followed him in and stood in front of him. "What are you planning to do? Maybe we should just give up and look for another building. There's no shortage of apartments for sale in Gangnam District, why bother competing with him?"
Su Yu took a sip of water. "I'm not arguing with him about the building."
Shirley didn't understand.
"It's about saving face." Su Yu put down her water glass. "He knew I was going to buy that building yesterday afternoon, and he deliberately tried to snatch it away before I signed the contract. This isn't doing business; it's a show of force."
"A show of force for you? What grudge do you have against him?"
"No. I didn't even know who he was until yesterday."
Shirley frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Could it be because of 'Model Taxi'?"
Su Yu looked up at her.
"Jung Cheol-min has a cousin who's a high-ranking executive at SBS," Sulli said. "I heard they were planning a revenge drama project, but your 'Model Taxi' became a hit first. Could it be because of that that he feels you're getting in his way?"
Su Yu thought about it and realized it wasn't impossible. The entertainment industry is only so big, the pie is only so big, and if more people share it, others will have less. Although Yinuo Entertainment is a small company, after "Model Taxi" became a hit, some people have started to take notice of it. Last week, someone from an investment company called to discuss cooperation, but he politely declined.
Now that Zheng Zhemin is stirring things up, it's probably for this reason.
Let's test the waters and see Su Yu's reaction. If he's compliant, we'll continue to bully him; if he's tough, we'll crush him completely.
Su Yu stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the alleyway filled with express deliveries.
"Shirley."
"Um."
"Can you still get in touch with your sister who works at the newspaper?"
Shirley thought for a moment. "You mean Reporter Jiang? Okay, what's up?"
"Help me ask her out for dinner."
Shirley paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "You mean...?"
"Doesn't Zheng Zhemin like being in the news?" Su Yu turned around, her expression indifferent. "Then let him be in the news as much as he wants."
Cai Xiubin watched him from the side, a sudden unease creeping into her heart. She'd seen Su Yu with that expression before; the last time was when they were looking at houses in Black Stone Cave. He'd stared at the crack for a long time before saying, "This house is nice." At the time, she hadn't known what he was looking at, but now, thinking back, she realized he must have known from the beginning that there would be a problem there.
The question is, how did he know?
She didn't ask. Some things are pointless to ask; Su Yu's answer was always "I guessed" or "I was lucky."
Sulli contacted reporter Kang that afternoon. Reporter Kang's real name is Kang Min-young. She is a social affairs reporter for Seoul Economic Daily, specializing in real estate and political/business news. She is five years older than Sulli. The two have known each other since childhood and have a good relationship. Reporter Kang even wrote an interview with Sulli when she debuted.
The appointment was for noon the next day at a Korean restaurant near the company.
When Su Yu arrived, Jiang Minying was already sitting inside. She was in her early thirties, with short hair, glasses, and dressed in a shirt and suit pants, looking capable and shrewd. A laptop and a voice recorder were placed in front of her, a professional habit.
"Representative Su, I've heard so much about you." Jiang Minying stood up and shook hands. "Sherry has told me about you many times."
"What did you say?" Su Yu sat down.
"I would say you're quite special." Jiang Minying smiled. "A Chinese student who opened a film and television company in Korea in less than a year and even produced a drama with a viewership rating of over 10. You really are special."
Su Yu didn't reply, but went straight to the point. "I want to ask you about someone."
"Who?"
"Zheng Zhemin".
Jiang Minying's smile faded. She picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, put it down, looked around, and made sure no one was paying attention.
"Zheng Zhemin is a sensitive word in our industry," she said. "Several reporters tried to investigate him before, but nothing came of it. One of them was even reassigned."
Are you scared?
Jiang Minying looked at him without saying anything.
"I don't need you to write anything," Su Yu said. "I just want to ask you a few questions. Just treat it as a chat; no need to record or take notes."
Jiang Minying thought for a moment, then turned off the recorder and closed the laptop.
"Go ahead and ask."
"Is Zheng Zhemin buying property recently?"
"He's been buying all along," Jiang Minying said. "Since last year, he's bought five buildings in the Gangnam district. Each time, he's paid a premium, 20% to 30% above the market price. Someone calculated that he's spent over 20 billion yuan just on buying buildings."
"Where did the money come from?"
"That's the problem," Jiang Minying said in a low voice. "The Zheng family's construction company has seen a sharp decline in performance over the past two years, and their financial statements look bad. Logically, they shouldn't be able to come up with so much cash. But they always pay in full for every transaction, without taking out a loan."
"Where did he get the money?"
Jiang Minying hesitated for a moment. "I have no evidence, but it's rumored in the industry that he has dealings with foreign capital. Some money of dubious origin is laundered through his company and then used to buy properties. After the properties are bought, they are mortgaged to banks to get more money, which is then used to buy more properties. It's a vicious cycle."
"That's why he offered a higher price than me," Su Yu said. "He was using other people's money and didn't care about the premium."
Jiang Minying nodded. "For him, buying the building isn't the goal; it's a means to launder money. So he's not afraid of high prices, only of not being able to buy it. That building you've got your eye on today, he's willing to pay 10 billion, almost 3 billion more than the market price. What normal businessman would do that?"
Su Yu leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.
"If there's something wrong with the money he used to buy the property, doesn't that mean the transactions themselves could also be problematic?"
Jiang Minying looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you want to say?"
"What I mean is, if someone could compile Zheng Zhemin's property purchase records over the past few years, see which ones were acquired at a premium, which ones were paid in full cash, and then investigate the source of these funds..."
"You can't find anything," Jiang Minying interrupted him. "His accounts are very well done; every single transaction is documented. At least on the surface, there's no problem."
"Just because it's not obvious on the surface doesn't mean there aren't problems underneath," Su Yu said. "You just mentioned that a reporter investigated him and was subsequently transferred. What did that reporter find out?"
Jiang Minying remained silent for a few seconds.
"That reporter was my senior," she said. "His name is Kim Dong-wook, and he works at a local branch office now. He found out some things back then, but before he could publish the article, it was stopped. The editor-in-chief told him that the Jung family had powerful backers and that he couldn't touch them."
"Who?"
"I don't know. The editor-in-chief didn't say, and he didn't dare to ask."
Su Yu thought for a moment. "Where is Kim Dong-wook now?"
"Daegu. You want to see him?"
"Could you please give me your contact information?"
Jiang Minying stared at him for a while, then took out a business card from her bag and wrote a phone number on the back.
"He is a senior I greatly respect," Jiang Minying said. "I would be very grateful if you could help him come back."
Su Yu took the business card, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket.
"I don't want him to come back," he said. "I want him to publish the manuscript that hasn't been published yet."
Jiang Minying paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Representative Su, just like Shirley said, she is indeed very special."
After finishing his meal, Su Yu stood at the restaurant entrance waiting for his car. Shirley texted him, asking how the meeting went. He replied with "Not bad," and then saved Kim Dong-wook's number in his phone.
Cai Xiubin came out of the restaurant, carrying a bag of leftover food. "How did the conversation with that reporter go?"
"good."
"What are you planning to do?"
Su Yu didn't answer. He took out his phone, browsed the news, and found reports about the buildings Zheng Zhemin had recently acquired. Every article was positive, saying things like "Zheng Group continues to expand its business empire," "Landmark buildings in Gangnam District change hands again," and "Zheng Zhemin: Optimistic about the future development of Gangnam District."
Not a single one was negative.
This shows that Jung Cheol-min has excellent control over the media. He either pays them, gives them face, or puts pressure on them. The South Korean media circle is only so big; reporters from the major newspapers all know each other. Who published what article is known throughout the industry the next day. If you want to investigate someone and the newspaper suppresses it, no one will dare to help you next time.
Therefore, we cannot go through formal channels.
Su Yu put his phone away and opened the car door.
"Let's go back first."
Cai Xiubin got into the car and fastened his seatbelt. "Back to the company?"
"No, go to Daegu."
"Daegu? Now?"
"Now."
Cai Xiubin glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions. Su Yu started the car and got on the highway. Outside the window were vast fields and hills; the autumn sky was very blue, and the sunlight made people sleepy.
It took almost three hours to get to Daegu. Kim Dong-wook works at the Daegu Daily, an old five-story building with beige paint on the exterior walls, some of which is peeling off.
Su Yu parked the car on the side of the road and made a phone call to Kim Dong-wook.
It rang five times before being answered. "Who is this?"
"Hello, Reporter Jin, my name is Su Yu, and I am the representative of Yinguo Entertainment."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. "I don't cover entertainment."
"I know. You cover the social issues," Su Yu said. "I want to talk to you about Zheng Zhemin."
Silence again. This time, the silence lasted even longer, so long that Su Yu thought he was dead.
How did you get my phone number?
"Given by Jiang Minying."
"Min-young?" Kim Dong-wook's tone softened slightly. "Are you her friend?"
"Sort of. Is it convenient for us to meet? I'm downstairs from your newspaper office."
Kim Dong-wook hesitated for a few seconds. "Wait a minute."
Ten minutes later, a man in his forties emerged from the newspaper office. He wore a dark blue jacket, his hair was a bit messy, and his beard was unkempt, making him look older than his actual age. But his eyes were bright, the kind of bright, alert gaze characteristic of a journalist.
Kim Dong-wook walked up to Su Yu, looked him up and down, then glanced at the car parked by the roadside, and then at Cai Xiubin sitting inside.
"Your car is nice."
Su Yu didn't reply. "There's a coffee shop nearby, want to sit down?"
The coffee shop was quiet; there weren't many people there at this hour. Kim Dong-wook ordered an Americano, Su Yu asked for a glass of water, and Cai Xiubin sat next to him without ordering anything, but she didn't leave either.
"Did Min-young tell you about me?" Kim Dong-wook asked.
She said you had investigated Zheng Zhemin.
"I checked." Kim Dong-wook took a sip of coffee. "He was later transferred to Daegu."
"What did you find out?"
Kim Dong-wook looked at him with an indescribable look in his eyes, like caution or a test.
"Tell me first, what's your grudge against Zheng Zhemin?"
"He robbed me of my entire building."
"Just one building?"
"He even texted me 'Congratulations on buying the apartment,' before I signed the contract," Su Yu said. "He was telling me that he could take what I wanted anytime."
After hearing this, Kim Dong-wook's lips twitched slightly, but it wasn't exactly a smile; it was more like a knowing bitterness.
"That's the kind of person Zheng Zhemin is," he said. "He not only wants to win, but he also wants you to know that you've lost."
"So you investigated him."
Kim Dong-wook looked down at the coffee cup, tracing his fingers along the inside of the cup.
"Two years ago, I received an anonymous tip that Jung Cheol-min's construction company used substandard materials in a project in Gyeonggi Province, which caused structural problems in the building. I investigated for three months, found three witnesses, obtained two test reports, and also found that the money for purchasing the materials was transferred from an overseas account."
"and then?"
"Then the manuscript was shelved." Kim Dong-wook's voice was calm, but his grip on the coffee cup tightened. "The editor-in-chief told me that the manuscript couldn't be published because the people behind the Jung family were 'too powerful.' I disagreed and argued with him. A week later, I was transferred to Daegu."
"Where are the witnesses?"
"One changed his mind, and two have disappeared." Kim Dong-wook looked up at Su Yu. "You know, when you investigate a wealthy person in South Korea, you'll eventually find that your opponent isn't the person, but the network behind him. Jung Cheol-min was just one knot in that network; once you puncture it, the whole network will tighten."
Su Yu remained silent for a few seconds.
"Do you still have the documents you have?"
Kim Dong-wook laughed. "Do you think I'd be stupid enough to hand over all the data? I've backed it up and put it in a safe place."
Why wasn't it sent?
"Who should we send it to?" Kim Dong-wook's voice suddenly rose a little. "The newspapers don't dare to publish it, and nobody believes it if we post it online. I tried posting anonymously, and it was deleted in less than an hour. Do you know that feeling? You have the truth in your hands, but you can't send it out. It's like you're desperately struggling to stay afloat in the water, but there's a pane of glass above your head, and you can't reach the air."
The coffee shop quieted down. The barista glanced up at them, then went back to wiping the cups.
Su Yu took a business card out of his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Jin Dongxu.
"Causal Entertainment"
Kim Dong-wook glanced at the business card but didn't take it. "I don't write entertainment news."
"I didn't ask you to write it," Su Yu said. "I asked you to investigate. Continue investigating Zheng Zhemin's case."
"And then? Who do you send it to after you've finished checking?"
"Send it to me," Su Yu said. "I'll have someone send it."
Kim Dong-wook looked at him, a glint of light in his eyes. "You think you can make it?"
"I know someone who posts things that others dare not post."
Kim Dong-wook stared at him for more than ten seconds, picked up the business card, looked at it over and over, and then put it in his pocket.
"You're quite an interesting person." Kim Dong-wook stood up. "More interesting than Daegu's kimchi."
"So you agreed?"
"I won't agree," Kim Dong-wook said. "But I can stay in touch with you. If I find anything someday, I'll tell you. Whether you can send it out or not is your business."
Su Yu nodded. "That's enough."
When Kim Dong-wook walked out of the coffee shop, he paused at the door and glanced back at Su Yu.
"Be careful," he said. "Zheng Zhemin is capable of anything."
Su Yu remained seated. Cai Xiubin didn't speak from beginning to end, only opening her mouth after Jin Dongxu left.
"Are you looking for an exiled journalist to help you investigate a developer with underworld connections?"
"Um."
Are you sure this will work?
Su Yu took a sip of water.
"Give it a try."
It was already dark when they got back. There weren't many cars on the highway, so Su Yu drove slowly. Cai Xiubin leaned back in the passenger seat, almost dozing off.
My phone vibrated.
Su Yu glanced at it; it was a message from Sherry.
"Reporter Jiang told me about your meeting. Are you sure you want to go head-to-head with Jung Cheol-min?"
Su Yu typed a few words with one hand: "Not a head-on collision."
"What is that?"
"Stealing an accident to extort money."
Shirley replied with a long string of ellipses, then sent another message: "You're really... never mind, just tell me if you need any help. Don't forget I'm your shareholder."
Su Yu didn't reply. He put down his phone and turned to look at Cai Xiubin, who was already asleep.
Outside the window was a pitch-black night sky, with the occasional flash of streetlights casting flickering light on Cai Xiubin's face.
Su Yu looked away, gripped the steering wheel, and stepped on the gas.
The car drove into the depths of the night.